Centralized Power v. the American Ideal

The power of the executive branch was expanded greatly at the expense of the Congress and the people during the Bush Administration. Signing statements were aggressively used when signing bills and executive orders supplanted legislative lawmaking.

Obama campaigned against that executive overreach but, as soon as he took office, he expanded it. During the next eight years Obama and his minions aggressively weaponized the executive branch expanding its already exploding base of power. He has created an imperial presidency of great and far reaching command authority. This is not your father’s White House. The checks and balances are in shambles. This is an imperial presidency. This is the seat of authoritarian power.

I am 53 years old. If I am very lucky, I will walk this good green earth for another 40 summers. If I do, I will see five to ten more presidents before I go off to sing with the Choir Invisible. I am making a solemn oath here today that, if the presidency remains the seat of imperial power that it is today, I will trust no man or woman in that chair.

For most people throughout history, power wasn’t a means. It was an ends. People have sought power for power’s sake. History has shown that power creates a distortion field that is so intense that it becomes impossible to tell who are the heroes and who are the villains. Those without power become helpless pawns in the strategies and intrigues of their overlords.

It is an indisputable fact that power has a very intense corrupting influence on people. Because of this, unless that person is Jesus Christ, I will never put my faith and trust in an individual wielding the power of the United States presidency as it currently exists. Throne sniffing sycophants generally live shorter lives than the suspicious and wary. Count me among the latter.

I don’t trust the current power holder and I don’t trust the power holder who will takeover on January 20. I don’t trust anyone with that much power and power hungry men like Donald Trump are worthy of special suspicion and attention.

I don’t know if it is clear what the Real Revo would be in a world without Obama in the White House. I really haven’t given it a lot of thought. I think it is becoming clear to me, however. It will not be a site dedicated to cheering for the current regime as if our team finally won the World Series.

If you always imagined a glorious day when we would emerge from the Obama years victorious and would bask in the glory and power of the new power brokers, you might be disappointed in what is to come.

If however, like the Founders, your vision of Americans is that they should be individualistic, self-reliant, modest in their national ambitions, suspicious of the passions of the masses and fearful of any and all concentration of power, you will feel quite at home here.

The essence and prosperity of America is built by wages earned in shops, mines and on farms. It is in our work ethic, our industry and our entrepreneurialism. American exceptionalism is created in countless corners of America. It is in our thrift and our willingness to take risk. It is sturdy individualism and self-reliance. It is in the land and in the people. Our greatness never, ever emanates from an individual sitting on a seat of power in a distant capital city.

This vision of America is wholly owned by those who teach, create, build, serve and produce. It isn’t something given to us by the political class or is dependent on the centralized bureaucracy headed by a powerful leader. It is in us.

So there you have it. This is where I stand. I can do no other. I hope you stand with me.